Adjustable step for ladders



Dec. 11, 1962 w. J. CARNICELLI 36 ADJUSTABLE STEP FOR LADDERS OriginalFiled Sept. 18, l958 Izwezaior Wm J 6113 32122211, by

wi fltioamey United States Patent @ftice 3,067,836 Patented Dec. 11,1962 3,067,836 ADJUSTABLE STEP FOR LADDERS William J. Carnicelli, 118Union Ave., Framingham, Mass. Continuation of application Ser. No.761,757, Sept. 18, 1958. This application May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 107,6213 Claims. (Cl. 182121) My present invention relates to a step forattachment to the rungs of a ladder and the objectof the invention is tomprove and perfect devices of this kind, and the present application isa continuation of my co-pending application, Serial No. 761,757, filedSeptember 18, 1958, .now abandoned.

The standard type of ladder has narrow rungs appropriately spaced, onwhich the worker steps and stands and these are both slippery and tiringto any person standing thereon for any considerable length of time.Numerous devices have been proposed to overcome this difficulty but nonehave been acceptable as ensuring safety under all conditions of use.

My present invention obviates objections to prior devices and, inaccordance with it, I provide an adjustable step having a pair of sidemembers, each having a straight rear edge for sliding contact with apair of rungs and an elongated slot downwardly opening through thestraight rear edge, between the ends thereof, to provide a hook with arung receiving pocket. Each side member also has a slot opening throughits lower end and in alinement with but shorter than the pocket.proportioned to catch over the upper rung of a selected pair thereofbefore the lower rung of that pair enters the lower end slots. Pivotmeans carried by the front part of a foot support interconnect the sidemembers forwardly of their slots and means are also provided fordetachably locking the rear part of the foot support to the side membersin any one of a series of vertically spaced positions selected toposition the foot support horizontally in spite of the inclination ofthe ladder relative to the ground, when in use. Each side memberincludes flanges inturned and disposed to underlie the foot support,preferably adjacent the pivot means.

Other important features of adjustable steps in accordance with myinvention are automatic locking means, the ease of its attachment andremoval, the fact that it is a firm braced unit, and yet extremely lightin weight, being capable of being stamped out of aluminum or similarlight sheet material.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodimentof the invention from which these andother of its objectives, novelfeatures, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a typical type of ladder with myimproved adjustable and self-locking step attached thereto betweenadjacent rungs,

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 22 ofFIG. 1.

In accordance with the invention, an adjustable step, generallyindicated at 5, is provided for attachment to and support by a pair ofadjacent rungs 6 of a generally indicated ladder 7.

The step has a pair of side members 8, shown as plates of a generallytriangular shape. Each plate 8 has a slot 9 downwardly opening, as at10, through its straight rear edge 11 intermediate the ends thereofwhich is dimensioned for sliding engagement with a pair of rungs 6. Arelatively deep hook 12 is thus provided whose pocket is in alinementwith a somewhat shorter slot 13 opening through the bottom edge 14.

A foot support 15 has side flanges 16 and downwardly turned end flanges17. A pivot 18 extends through each Each hook is 7 relative at theground when in use.

side flange 16 adjacent the front end thereof and through the proximateside member 8 near the apex defined by its bottom edge 14 and its frontedge 19. The pivots 18 are transversely alined and serve both tointerconnect the foot support and the side members 8 andto enable thefoot support 15- to be swung upwardly and downwardly so that it may bebrought into an approximately hori zontal position regardless of theinclination of the ladder In order that the foot support may bedetachably locked in whichever position will render it suitable when theladder is in use, bolts 20 are provided, one for each side flange 16 andextending through a hole in the rear part thereof and through one of aseries of vertically spaced holes 21 that are arranged arcuately withrespect to the axis of the.

pivots 18. The bolts 20 are shown as provided with wing nuts 22.

With the adjustable step described, it is only necessary to place itbetween the side rails 23 of the ladder 7 and to slide it upwardly untilits opening 10 receives the upper of the two rungs 6 that are to be usedin its support. As the step 5 slid-es downwardly, the upper of the tworungs enters into the slots 9 before the lower of the two rungs 6 entersthe slots 13 so that the step 5 becomes securely attached to andsupported by both of the rungs 7.

It is preferred that there be a lock that will make impossibleaccidental detachment of the step 5 from the ladder 7. To accomplishthat end, a latch 24 is pivoted to one side of each book 12 to swinginto and out of engagement with a pin 25 on the other side thereof. Itwill be noted that the latches 24 engage their pins 25 under theinfluence of gravity in any position of use of the ladder 7 but openreadily when engaged by a rung 6 to admit that rung when the step 5 isbeing attached in place.

It will also be noted that each side member 8 has an inturned flange 26extending under the foot support 15 between its pivots 18 and the bolts20. It will also be noted that the foot support 15 overlies the lower ofthe two rungs 6 and that even if the pivots 18 and the bolts 20 shouldbreak, the foot support 15 would be supported by the flanges 26 and saidlower rung with the end flanges 17 serving as positive stops.

It will be appreciated that I have devised an improved safety step forcombination with a standard type of ladder wherein the adjustable footsupport is locked in and securely held in an approximately horizontalfoot receiving position. My improved device eliminates the danger to theuser or worker of slipping or displacement, eliminates the necessity ofinsurance against same, and stays securely fixed in position duringshifting the ladder from one location to another.

I claim:

1. In a removably mounted, angularly adjustable foot support forattachement on a pair of ladder rungs the combination comprising a pairof substantially right triangularly shaped side members and a pivotallymounted foot support adjustably secured therebetween, each of said sidemembers of said pair including a bottom edge and a pair of upwardlyextending side edges, one of said side edges extending upwardly at rightangles to said bottom edge and said other edge extending angularlyupwardly from said bottom edge to converge with said right angularlydisposed edge at a point above said bottom edge, each of said sidemembers including first and scond rung engaging hook means, said firsthook means on each of said pair of side members disposed adjacent theconvergence of said bottom edge and said right angularly disposed edge,said second hook means disposed adjacent the convergence of saidupwardly extending right angularly disposed edge portion and saidangularly upwardly extending edge portion, said second hook means havingits opening extending through said right angularly disposed edgeportion, said foot support including a base portion, a pair of upwardlydirected side flange portions, and a pair of downwardly directed endflange portions, pivot means extending through complementary ends ofeach of said side flange portions of said foot support to pivotallysecure said foot support between complementary faces of each of saidtriangular side members at a point adjacent the convergence of saidbottom edge and said angularly upwardly extending edge of each of saidside members, and foot support adjustment locking means extendingthrough each of side flanges on said foot support and each of saidtriangular side members at a point adjacent the end of said side flangesopposite said pivot and at a point on a straight line extending betweenthe closed ends of said first and second book means, to secure said footsupport from movement when the same is in the desired position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.155,566 Agricola Oct. 18, 1949 2,140,828 Carle Dec. 20, 1938 2,432,206Mott Dec. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 132,835 Switzerland May 15, 1929

